Today's Opinions

It’s been almost three years since my wonderful dog Sable died. She was a black standard poodle, one of the big ones and at her top weight was 50 pounds — not exactly a lap dog, but I loved her beyond all reason and still think of her often and can tear up when I speak of her.

How did my grandmother do it? Well past her 75th birthday, she was still having holiday dinners at her house and with her five children and their children and spouses and their grandchildren, she fed a real house full.

Granted, everyone (the adults) took a dish. But just getting the house ready, the dishes out and the tea made would have done in a lesser person (such as I).

One of the country’s most persistent challenges is finding ways to help those struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues beyond their control.

Federal figures show the number to be significant. In 2008, it was estimated that 30 million Americans had received treatment for a mental health issue in the previous year, and about 22 million were believed to be addicted to drugs or alcohol.

As we take time out of our schedule this week to enjoy the kick-off to the holiday season, I want to wish each of you a Happy Thanksgiving.

We are now just one decade away from the 400th anniversary of that famous feast enjoyed by the Pilgrims and the Native Americans who helped them weather especially tough times.

Though that harvest meal is the foundation for the holiday, it didn’t settle into its familiar place on the calendar until nearly 150 years ago, when President Lincoln declared it should be held on the last Thursday of November.

Thanks to everyone that donated to this years Scouting for Food campaign – it was a huge success! A special thanks also to the nearly 100 volunteers that came out Saturday to pick-up food items during the door-to-door campaign. After everything was put away a new record was set with a tally of 16,011 items from the schools and the door-to-door drive – this is nearly 2,000 more than 2010 (and there’s still more items to be counted as a couple of the schools bring in their donations this week).

There’s a lot of focus on this Friday — it’s the day big retailers mark some special buys and draw big crowds in the pre-dawn hours.

Yes, I’ve joined some of the people out there in years past, battling for those Black Friday Specials. This year, like more recent years, however, I will be relaxing at home on this day instead of fighting the crowds and interrupting what I hope is a good night’s sleep after stuffing myself on Thursday with my wife’s excellent Thanksgiving fixin’s.

I have wanted to submit a letter for sometime about the wonderful staff in the emergency room at Carroll County Memorial Hospital. But I witnessed something today that touched my heart in a way that I knew now was the time to write it.